Alberta COVID-19 panel urges consideration of ‘alternative’ scientific theories
EDMONTON – A panel studying Alberta’s pandemic response urges the province to consider “alternative” scientific theories – a recommendation the Opposition NDP says opens the door to fringe ideas akin to Premier Danielle Smith once advocating the use of a horse dewormer to fight COVID-19.
The report by the panel led by former Reform Party leader Preston Manning says science should still play a role in future crises, but only as part of a “balanced response” tied to “evidence-informed decision-making.”
It calls for the premier and cabinet to be the final decision-makers in any crisis response while drawing on the expertise of a chief science officer and a roster of professionals from a range of scientific and other fields.
“Elected officials, the (Alberta Emergency Management Agency) and the subject matter ministry should be open to considering and investigating alternative scientific narratives and hypotheses,” wrote the panel.
The panel said these theories should be pursued “even at the risk of acknowledging some uncertainty as to which scientific narratives are most relevant to the emergency at hand.”
Opposition NDP Leader Rachel Notley said the report encourages the adoption of dangerous fringe medical theories that could put health workers in a bind if they are ordered to administer such treatments down the road.
“What you see is an invitation to normalize conspiracy theories and pseudo-science at the expense of evidence-based medical care,” Notley told reporters in Calgary. |Read more https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/alberta-covid-19-panel-urges-consideration-of-alternative-scientific-theories-1.6646275| edmonton.ctvnews.ca/alberta-co…
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